Stopped for lunch on a road trip, but did not stay at the hotel. Ate in this historic saloon area, complete with bullet holes in the ceiling from the hotel's wild west days. It was fun to wander around and look at the old photos and artifacts, plus the downstairs hallway with rooms named for some famous guests who stayed at this old adobe hotel during its wild heyday. Food was pretty good. Had a salad and added a chili relleno for $5. It was very well prepared, although the salad of mostly spring mix, a few cucumbers and tomatoes was not worth $14. Partner had a steak--said it was ok. "Seasonal vegetables" were just plain kernal corn. Giving this place three stars for food, but the historic charm is the real reason to give it a try. The restaurant was only open Thursday through Saturday in February, so check hours if you want to eat. You can also just stop by and take a look in the lobby and parts of the hotel. The staff doesn't mind. read more

A small piece of history, as soon as you walk in it is like stepping back in time. You can wander the first floor. There is lots of information and photographs documening the past. Some of the rooms e.g Jesse James room are open to view from behind a velvet rope. There is a faint odor of Mary Lambert's perfume wafting through the hall way. There is a restaurant with a bar, bullett holes still on the ceiling. 27 people were killed in this hotel in days gone by and anyone that was anyone from the Wild West visited here. A must for fans of the West, manage your expectations and you won't be disappointed. read more

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Great food at one of the West's most historic hotels. We stopped in based on the recommendation of the True West magazine and we amazed at the history. The manager of the hotel shared so many insights on what happened. Her great grandmother worked there in the 1800's. The food in the original bar was plentiful, delicious and a great value. Our favorite was an appetizer of Mexican Sushi. Highly recommend a stop over with a shout out to the knowledgeable staff. read more

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$238/night for this. No food, no bar, no coffee pot and a non-working ice machine that looks like it hasn't worked for a decade. Hard beds and cheap bedding. Couldn't book online and no one there to answer the phone. Decided to drive by and found the front door locked. Fortunately someone finally wandered by. Unfortunately this was the only place with availability within an hour. They do not serve breakfast and you travel 1 hour in the morning to find anything other than a burrito or protein bar! read more

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historic hotel with a great staff in a lot of history to explore sure eat at the restaurant or have a drink at the bar, friendly staff

I visit the area 3 times a year for winter sports. The St James hotel is historical and it's nice to get some pictures and see some neat facts about the area. The restaurant has been disappointing every year. This will be the last time due unreliable in consistency and hours of service. Previous times I went always takes about. 5-10 mins to be acknowledge to be seated. The waitress was friendly but place is very short staffed and food is subpar for what you pay. 3/23/26 I arrived at 5:45pm hours posted online and on door hours from 11am-8pm. Hotel front desk stopped us before entering restaurant and firm tone said restaurant is closed. I calmly asked if today was indeed Monday and she replied yes and I emphasized the door indicated you guys should be open not to mention the fact the places looked packed with people eating and drinking. She had more firm tone and said you can ask if you don't believe me they sent staff home because it was dead. My father is elderly and handicapped and I often wondered if it was an arbitrary due to that but I don't want to argue with an establishment to be a customer. The food is overpriced and not the best but I always departed saying I won't go back but hope it changes. Only reason this time is we heard new management took over. I didn't even get the chance and this place made me furious. MAIN POINT unreliable hours of operation if your passing through maybe stop take some pictures and go into either Angel Fire mexican restaurant their food is pretty good and the brewery in Red River. Both places have always been open no matter how slow it is. This area has very limited options to eat so if your hoping for restaurant in St.James even though the say they are open doesn't mean they are. I have never been treated like this at any restaurant in my life so it is my last time. read more

What a cool place to grab a cold drink after hiking in the Canyon. Ordered a beer at the bar and got to talking with the bartender about things to do in the area. She was nice and helpful with some suggestions. I closed out after the second beer and went upstairs to wonder around this haunted building museum. Some real famous names that takes you back to when it was lit by candle in this small mountain town. It is worth stopping in for a meal too, either inside or outside. read more

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A cool hotel with a ton of history. I just wish that I had seen it before the "remodel." They destroyed the experience and the charm by replacing the original flooring with cheap looking, engineered wood floors that don't match the old floors at all. The restaurant was decent for the price. Average food...incredible margaritas...outstanding service from Michelle. Definitely worth a look for the reputation, but not dying to go back any time soon. read more

Stopped in here for lunch. A friend had taught in the school in Cimmaron and we were curious about the place. This looked interesting and is off the main highway. A really charming place . Had a couple of good salads and the service was good. I would be curious about staying in the hotel sometime. A very historic and unusual place!! read more

Drove 600 miles to dine at the St. James. Checked on Google the hours to make sure it was open. Walked in and front desk said it was closed because of unforeseen circumstances. I own businesses, so I understand stand that. However, the front desk lady was very rude and un welcoming. I said can we just walk through and see it. She said no. So we walked to see rooms on first floor but saw a sign that upstairs was closed to non guest. I don't understand when your business depends on guest how you can be so rude. I am sorry this happened to us and wish they had a little hospitality training for their employees. Very Very disappointing. read more

So fun to share the history of this place, but apparently, they will be closing their doors! We stayed during our drive around New Mexico with friends. The history and novelty of the place were a lot of fun. The bartenders work hard, they had live music, and they had nice rooms. Most rooms come with a double bed and then a twin bed in an adjoining "room" and a bathroom. Some rooms have to share a bath, much like I would think happened in the days of the gun slingers that add to the history of the hotel. My hubby and I are big people and we both like to sleep all the way on the bed so I got the double and he took the twin. Also, maybe ro add to the theme, the beds were VERY loud and squeaky!! If either of us turned over, the other one woke up. There's just no stopping that from happening! (Sooo loud!!) The only other complaint was that we arrived about 20 minutes to the dining room before they were supposed to stop service but they were DONE so no food for us. That's no good because there isn't much left in Cimarron. We did try one of the local places but the food and drinks were equally awful so we returned to he bar at the hotel and had a few beers to fill our bellies. Not a great choice. So be forewarned, eat BEFORE you arrive if you think you might run late. And hopefully, whomever takes over the St. James will keep serving food to a full hotel until actual close or even extend their hours! (Hint, hint ;) ) read more

We were not given any water. We had to wait several minutes just to get our drink. Our waitress never once came back to check on us. I requested a refill on my Diet Coke 3 times we waited 43 minutes for our food. 2 of our orders were wrong. They took one-off the bill, but not the other. The one person that did actually eat their meal. They ordered a taco salad. That had a taco shell bowl, ground beef onions and cheese. Period nothing else. No lettuce, no tomato, no sour cream, no salsa. As our patience grew thin, staff became very rude. $100 later, we left and had to drive to the Next Gas station to Buy Gas station Food Because We Were Starving. We were in the restaurant 1 hour and 55 minutes. I would not recommend this place to anybody. I will eat gas station food anytime over this restaurant. read more

A Hotel full of history where Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid were guests at that Hotel. You can see the bullet holes on the ceiling in the bar. Great food, nice accommodations. read more

Booked a room for the night and told the reservationist that we had a pet (Service Dog) she advised us about the pet fee and confirmed our reservation. Upon arrival I asked if we could eat in the dining room with our toy poodle ( quite hypoallergenic ) but was told that we would have to sit outside in the corner to eat. We did so with some friends who joined us. Unfortunately the flies and bees kept us busy swatting them away as our food just got cold. I understand the frustration of people who have allergies, in fact both of our friends have terrible allergies. Neither one complained about the dog. I would have greatly appreciated being advised about your policies regarding service animals prior to confirming the reservation. This didn't totally ruin my birthday experience but it darn sure didn't help either. Also (FYI) it took me 30 minutes to get checked in and there was only one group of guests in front of me. They appeared to be a family group. The front desk clerk was giving them the complete history lesson of the hotel's past. Perhaps some employee training is overdue. read more

A real gem of a historic hotel in a gorgeous, unspoiled region of Northern New Mexico. Updated beautifully, but done without losing any of the charm and authenticity that make this part of the country so special. My only regret is that we stayed for just one night. We will certainly be coming back soon. read more

St James Hotel - Hotel sign - Hotels Near Me - Cimarron, New Mexico

Had lunch in the restaurant. The facility is great: clean, well decorated, the place exudes history. Unfortunately the service tarnished the experience. only three tables, but service was S-L-O-W. After staring at our beer order warming up on the bar for 10 minutes, I grabbed it myself. A poor woman was sitting at the bar for that entire time being ignored, and she had enough and left without anyone helping her. The food was average. Without the atmosphere, this place would not be worth a visit, but as it is, you should probably roll the dice and give it a try. read more

St James Hotel - Bar with bar tender AWOL - Hotels Near Me - Cimarron, New Mexico

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The Old West still lives. Beautifully kept piece of history to add to your bucket list while exploring the West. read more

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This is heartbreaking, but our stay was such a bummer. This place has such an amazing history and is so important to the area, but our stay here was a gigantic disappointment. My partner and I work a lot, like every day, and we decided we wanted to do a get away for one night. We stayed in the Buffalo Bill Cody room, which was very nice, but pretty much everything else about our visit sucked. We went down to the bar to get a beverage before taking a walk around. The bartender had an awful attitude and she kept coughing all over her hands and never once washing her hands. Sometimes she didn't even cover her mouth at all. It was absolutely disgusting. We paid our tab and left. When we checked in at 3:00, we were given a brochure, and it said the restaurant was open until 9:00. The sign on the door also said it was open until 9:00. We went down at 7:30 and they were already closed. There was nowhere*** else in the entire town that was open. It was St. Patrick's Day, the only place in town, and they closed early after telling customers they would be open until 9:00. They also didn't have breakfast the next day, so they are charging guests to stay at their hotel with zero amenities. We had to go to the gas station for food. I'm a vegetarian, so there was nothing I could have except for gas station snacks. We paid $230 to stay for one night for attitude, germs, and no food. We drove over 2 hours to get there, got house sitters and dog sitters, to have this nice evening. My partner planned his proposal to me for that night since we love the St. James so much, and we planned this special evening to get away from home and work. It was kind of wrecked due to our horrible experience. We love the hotel and its history so much. We love Cimarron and all of Colfax County, but our perception of it has changed due to a terribly uncaring and unprofessional staff. I don't think we can go back again. Not for a really long time. I will give 2 stars for the hotel itself. read more

Loved the beef enchiladas and fried pickles. Ambiance in the courtyard with the fountain was a perfect touch. Happy Camper IPA says it all. read more

St James Hotel - Beef enchiladas with an egg on top, rice and beans. Delicious. - Hotels Near Me - Cimarron, New Mexico

This hotel speaks to you! The walls are filled with photos that tell a story. It is not a surprise that it falls in the history of the Wild West with people like Jesse James, Doc Holiday, Annie Oakley, Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill Cody and some I may have forgotten. The hotel is filled with history. You can walk through and see and read all about the many happenings that have left many to believe the hotel is haiunted. Needless to say we stayed in the newer section which they call the annex. Very clean and beds are comfortable for a night stay. We went to dinner at the connected restaurant and it was reasonably priced and very good. The whole experience was eerie but also interesting. The history alone takes you back... Nice place to visit with friendly staff and great hospitality. read more

We actually went in to have an late lunch/ early dinner. We went in through hotel lobby. Two desk clerks were sitting at the front desk looking at something while laughing and talking. It was as if we were invisible. Not a "hello, how can we help you, welcome..." nothing. We were clearly walking towards the back where the restaurant is, but they could not be bothered to tell us that restaurant was closed. That was made obvious when we saw all the chairs on the tables and not a soul in the restaurant. We walked back out to the lobby and my husband inquired if the restaurant was closed for the day. They barely responded with annoyance as if we were disturbing them. Makes no sense why people chose to work in a setting where hospitality is key, but lack the skills necessary to make people feel welcomed. Weird. read more

Great local place, good food, excellent values on adult bevs. Where the locals come to eat. Mon.- Wed they have dog days. Dogs and fries for $6. Lots of choices. Plenty of appetizers as well and a full bar. Limited but diverse menu. read more

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We stayed at St James for the first time. We had two ghost experiences the food was excellent drinks very reasonable , the staff friendly as well . Our ghost encounter was in middle of night 3 times someone stomped across the floor then the next morning setting in lobby the clock struck 9 and we got a strong smell of perfume and then it disappeared , I asked my wife did you smell that and she said yes. We will be back !! read more

Food is fine. A little bland for my seasoned (seared ?) New Mexican palette. But the food service is lightning fast and the staff is great. They carry Pepsi products but make up for that oversight by having Dr. Pepper on tap. The ambience is awesome for this recovering Texan, complete with longhorn mount over the fireplace. If you're Buddhist, or vegan, you might wanna skip this hauntingly cool little taste of the 1800s in Cimmaron, as one of the decorative themes is animal mounts. But historians of all ilk should be sure to stop! I will be back! And bringing hubby and ghosthunting friends!!! read more

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Always a great experience and amazing food here. Taking all the right covid precautions to keep people safe.

I had a bison burger but couldn't order it medium rare as the restaurant specifies it must be medium well. It came as more than well done and tasted so terribly dry. The addition of the sweet potato fries was welcomed as they were waffle cut. Hubby had flat iron steak which was ordered rare and that was delicious. He also had the sweet potato fries. We then shared the strawberry rhubarb pie. Average meal but we have had better. read more

St James Hotel - Backcourt waterfalls - Hotels Near Me - Cimarron, New Mexico

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Enjoyed a fantastic Cobb salad. Ordered half size and it was large. The house margarita was fantastic too.

This place has soooo much western history. Stop in . Meet the friendly staff. See the vintage pictures on the wall on the first floor. Go to the cowboy bar read more

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We are very disappointed in your restaurant. We made a reservation for Fathers Day at 4:00 pm. When we made our reservation, we provided a contact telephone number. When we arrived today, we were told the restaurant was closed. We drove one hour to have dinner. Someone could have called to cancel our reservation. Someone could have apologized. We are saddened at the lack of respect that we received from your staff. read more

A really interesting and unique experience. Tons of history. Unfortunately, I did not have any ghostly encounters. It is a bit pricy but really cool if you are into Wild West history and/or ghosts. The rooms are cute and comfortable. TIPS: Take the time to watch the video in the lobby - ask the clerk to turn it on for you. Call ahead if you want a specific room - I requested the Mary Lambert room because there have been experiences there (smell of perfume mostly) and also because it was closest to the most haunted room in the hotel (the room where Thomas James Wright was murdered and where some really strange ghostly stuff had taken place - it's locked and not for rent). Hang out at the bar for a bit - that is the location of the old saloon where 26 people were supposedly murdered and bullet holes were discovered in the ceiling. The drive from Cimarron to Taos (my next destination) was absolutely breathtaking. Highly recommended. read more

Super busy place so expect a wait. I had children with me so when they tried to sit us near the bar on bar chairs I told them I can't sit on those because of my bad back. We would have to wait an additional 30 minutes they said. I guess we will since I can't physically handle that and assumed we wouldn't be in bar chairs because of the children. Food took awhile but was great. We had an incident that was embarrassing but the bus boy quickly took care of it without complaint (we tipped him $20 later!) It's a fun hotel with history so walk the halls and check out the bullet holes still in the ceiling. read more

The hotel IS haunted! But NOT in the way you think! No ghost-activity! But we got EVPs!! You have to be sensitive to Spirit to get the experience! I am a Medium! So we got the experience! We got the Spirits of Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Annie Oakley, and Buffalo Bill! But they did not do any physical things! Just talked to us! They closed room 18 permanently because there is a ghost in there! Think about it! How can a ghost be trapped by humans?!! They can't! That's a tall tale! We just stayed there. The owner needs to update the bathrooms! You can still keep the integrity of the history of the hotel without sacrificing modernizing the bathrooms! We stayed in room 23 - the only room that would accommodate a family of 3. I hated the old-fashioned tub! We did not use it! The owner needs to update that tub to a shower! They had two twin beds and a full-sized bed. I had not slept in a twin bed since I was young! Ugh! Our son took the bigger bed! Jason, my partner took 10-15-minutes trying to find the room! Another family apparently also had trouble finding their room as well! They kept rattling our door! Thinking that that was their room! It was not! The owner needs to put in an elevator for us older folks! I am 60! The railing was rickety and the stairs were steep! The owner needs to make the rooms larger to accommodate bigger families! Otherwise, bigger families cannot stay there! The owner needs to put in skits, have seances, have other activities sssociated with the haunted factor - if she is promoting the haunted factor! She needs to retrain front office staff! The short-haired blonde woman with the glasses was rude to us - me! I am Chinese. I stick out like a sore thumb in small towns like this! She was only nice to Jason - when he was paying the.bill! And because he's Caucasian! If you want to make your hotel more profitable, you need to change things! I did not realize at the time that I had gotten Billy the Kid's Spirit to come forward! And Jesse James, Annie Oakley, and Buffalo Bill. I am a Medium! If you are not sensitive to Spirit, you will get no haunted activity! There are no apparitions walking around! You cannot feel them! You cannot see them! Unless you are a Medium! To go there expecting things to happen is unrealistic! If you are NOT a Medium! Nothing physical happened when we were there! The staff needs to help visitors find their rooms! The owner needs to take away the shared bathrooms and make every room have their own bathrooms! We will not go there again! The locals stared at me when I walked in! Made me self-conscious!!! read more

A few years ago, right around Halloween, me and my friend Laura watched The Travel Channel's "Ten Most Haunted Hotels in the USA" special. The St. James's Hotel in dusty and deserted Cimarron, New Mexico was right up there in the top 10. Although it has been a few years, I remember it like yesterday and can't imagine that it has changed much. Besides being haunted, the St. James has quite the colorful history. Built in 1872 by Frenchman Henri Lambert who was at one time the personal chef to President Lincoln, The St. James was conveniently located along the Santa Fe Trail. This location made it popular with gunfighters, gold prospectors, and all other sorts of folk making their way west. Today the rooms of the famous gunfighters such as Wyatt Earp are cordoned off with red velvet rope so that you can peer in and see what their accommodations would have looked like. It is a small wonder that the hotel is said to be haunted. There were at least 26 murders and God knows how many shootings and stabbings. Go ahead, just for fun, count the bullet holes in the ceiling in the main dining room. Unfortunately, the dining room was closed during our stay so we had to eat elsewhere. Now, for the reason we wanted to stay there. Rooms 17 and 18. Room 18 is so haunted that no one enters. Legend has it that guest James Wright stayed there and he had won the title to the hotel in a poker game but he was murdered, shot in the back before he could collect his win. Room 17, across the hall was the room of Mary, the wife of Henri who is said to tap on the window if it is left open and her presence leaves a fragrance of rose perfume. Our room felt like we were stepping back in time a 100 years. No telephone. No television. Our accommodations looked much like those of the gunfighters' preserved rooms downstairs. This place is like a time capsule. Naturally for our visit we stayed in room 17 left the window open for Mary and we went across the hall to jiggle the doorknob and stared through the keyhole of room 18. Nothing bad happened. At bedtime we brought out a Ouija board to facilitate communication with any ghosts that might be lurking about and guess what happened! Nothing. My friend tells me I lightly snore. She didn't sleep. She was too scared because of the Ouija board and was awake all night. Despite the ghosts being a no show, it was still really cool staying here just for the historical value. To you folks that happen to be in the area, as in, in-the-middle-of-nowhere, NM, take a detour and go visit. 2015 - Review # 15 read more

Wild Wild West Haunted Hotel! So much history happened here. Wyatt Erp, Jesse James. Great food. We had the frito pie and enchiladas! Cimarron Canyon and Red River great to visit in the fall! A must see area in New Mexico read more

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When we got back from Philmont and we were done with pre packaged foods we stopped here and enjoyed the best meal I have ever had. 10/10 keep it up!! read more

We stayed in the St. James during a summer 2007 trip to Philmont and the surrounding area. We spent three nights in the Pancho Griego room and found the lodging acceptable given the age of the property. As history fans we appreciate the stories others have alluded to in their reviews and hope the hotel is here for many years to come. We would be pleased to lodge here again. We ate in the Carson-Maxwell Dining Room once. I thought the food was okay but not spectacular for the price. We ate in Vera's Cafe several times (and also in 2008 even though we stayed elsewhere) and found the food and service fine. We will certainly come back. I spent more than a few evenings in Vera's in the early 1980s (back before it was a cafe, yo), and have fond memories of Vera's hospitality and of friendships made at the St. James. read more

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Come see a historical site where the Cimarron Cutoff leaves the Santa Fe Trail. Come for the good food and stand where the people of legion stayed. Annie Oakley, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Pat Garret, Buffalo Bill (Cody), and many more and there stories. Fascinating!!! read more

St James Hotel - Come see a historical site you can actually stay here. - Hotels Near Me - Cimarron, New Mexico

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Ok. This is the go to place upon coming "off the trail" after 12-days of eating freeze dried food at Philmont. As such it is one of the few spots in town where you can get a decent *********Make a reservation for a large group!!!!!******* Prime rib was good. Bison burgers were also good..... They used to have a great salad bar but that is sadly gone ..... Ambience is great. Allegedly 22 have been killed in the bar..... A solid 3 stars. read more

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I first noticed this old hotel when I drove past it on the way to Philmont scout ranch in 1978. I was intrigued and wanted to investigate. But there was no time. I drove by again in 1995, but had no time. Then again in 2016...no time. Finally, I stopped in August 2, 2020 and headed for the patio for dining. I was asked to seat myself and someone brought me a menu in a reasonable amount of time. But that was the end of contact with staff. Several other tables were seated and orders were taken at two of them. But I was ignored. Eventually, I left. I don't know if this place has an anti-white bias, an anti-out of towner bias, or what their problem is. I will not be returning to find out. read more

I used to be a fan of the James once upon a time, but as of late all it has done is disappoint me. Most of the staff there act like you being there to eat or have drinks is the biggest inconvenience possible regardless of what time you show up. They've started stacking chairs onto the tables around us well before closing. A waitress straight up ignored one of the people at our table who showed up a little after we did to the point where he had to go track down someone else to serve him. Pauline has tried her best to keep them in check with their terrible attitudes and lazy service but there's only so much one person can do. One of the employees I've read about in some other reviews and she's just as nasty and condescending as they all say. The hours are totally inconsistent for the only restaurant in town and they will change without any notice. The food is fine but definitely not good enough to make up for the ridiculous behavior of the staff. Sad to say I will never be giving my money to this place again (I used to enjoy my visits) read more